Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim — NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,215,138 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports — when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report — that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints — specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened — feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 40,517 complaints — component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Incident date: Oct 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the battery failed to start the engine. The vehicle was jumpstarted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact noticed acid on top of the battery by the terminals and noticed that acid had dripped down the vehicle, and the battery was hot. The dealer replaced the battery. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the batt... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to Downtown Auto Care, where an oil consumption test was initiated. The mechanic added 5 quarts of oil to the engine and advised the contact to return after 3,000 miles. The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light illuminated after 2,275 miles. Th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that on several occasions while making left and right turns, the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure by wiggling the battery terminals and other engine components. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The fail... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine. An Independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repai... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while stopped, the vehicle hesitated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the vehicle occasionally experienced a loss of ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an abnormally bumpy ride. The contact felt as if the vehicle was driving over rocks. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replace... Read more
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2012) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 6, 2025
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The recall repair was completed; however, on the drive home after the vehicle was retrieved, while driving 60 MPH, the engine seized. The contact stated that the vehicle was sluggish and hesitated before stalling in the middle lane of the highway. The oil pressure wa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving in traffic, a trim piece detached from the vehicle. The TPMS and check engine warning light were illuminated. The dealer sent a tech to the contact’s place of employment, but the tech was unable to complete the recall repair due to the bolt not being available. The contact had received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Nu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle consumed an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that on several occasions, there was no oil or low oil in the oil pan. The contact stated that oil needed to be added to the vehicle daily. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notifi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that after coming to a stop, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle returned to normal functionality. The check engine wa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning illuminated. The contact’s son reported that the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally, and he pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was i... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost power, the engine began knocking, and the vehicle began to decelerate quickly until there was complete engine failure. The contact was able to coast to the emergency lane on the side of the highway. After the failure, several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instr... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, shook and vibrated, and then stalled. During the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the oil pressure message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to a faulty oil pump drive belt tens... Read more
CHEVROLET
EQUINOX EV
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 6, 2025
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact stopped and then attempted ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the crankshaft, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost motive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 3, 2025
Incident date: Sep 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, there was an abnormal sound and odor coming from the engine. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that pistons needed to be replaced and that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and occasionally jolted while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fue... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact called the dealer and ... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Oct 3, 2025
Incident date: Oct 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine was running rough. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the failure but refuse... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop, the driver heard an abnormal sound, and the vehicle suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. The contact stated that the driveshaft had separated from the vehicle and had fallen on the road. The vehicle was towed to Ron's Automotive Center Inc, where it was ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The check coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that when the vehicle was serviced at the... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the oil level was constantly checked since purchasing the vehicle. The contact stated she was aware of the oil consumption because the oil had to be topped off after each oil change. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased. The dealer ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering intermittently. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, where it was diagnosed with altern... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Since the release of the recall, the contact made several attempts to have the recall repair performed and each time the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed on the freeway and had stopped on the shoulder of the road to access the navigation system. The contact stated that after the driver shifted to park(P), the driver noticed smoke. The contact's grand-mother who was also occupying the vehicle advised the driver that the smoke was coming from ... Read more
Fire
2 injured
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact recently purchased the vehicle. When the vehicle was purchased, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact brought the issue to the attention of the dealer and was informed that the warning light was illuminated due to a sensor issue. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). However, the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35-40 MPH and hauling a trailer in stop-and-go traffic, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle started losing power. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, where the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The p... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact's son owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while her son was driving at a moderate speed, the vehicle lost motive power without warning. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was also notified that the parts f... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle experienced reduced power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an oil leak from the cylinders onto the spark plugs, causing the cylinders to misfire. The dealer cleaned the engine and replaced the spark plugs; however, the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change service. The contact stated that while in the process of picking up the vehicle, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had failed to start. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle after refueling. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pe... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. After scanning the vehicle, the contact received a code for torque converter damage. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the TCM update was needed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power with the message "Service Electronic Throttle Control" displayed, and the “Electronic Throttle Control System Fault” warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the EGR Cooler ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
The contact's husband owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 60 MPH, several braking system warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel, including the ABS warning light. Upon depression of the brake pedal, the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard, and the braking system failed to operate as needed. Due to the failure, the contact's husband ac... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the message “Engine would Shutoff Soon” was displayed. The START/STOP, engine, Forward Collision Avoidance, and 4WD warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the power steering functionality had become inoperable. The vehicle had stalled on several occasions. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Numb... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud banging sound, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood and through the A/C vents, which blocked the visibility of the roadway. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that a significant amount of ... Read more
BLUE OX
AVAIL TOW BAR
(9999) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Sep 30, 2025
Incident date: Aug 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two separate dealers. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic, and a diagnostic test was performed and diagnosed with engine failure. Upon investigation, the mechani... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was depressing the accelerator pedal, the AWD warning illuminated, and the vehicle started hesitating. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and waited for tow truck assistance. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that there was a coolant leak, and the coolant level in the reservoir was low. The coolant reservoir was topped off; however, the failure reoccurred. While having an oil change at Keys Toyota (5855 Van Nuys Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91401); the contact was informed about the coolant leak in the rear of the engine. The contact stated that the v... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
I own a 2018 Audi A5. Many critical cooling system parts — including the thermostat housing, water pump housing, radiator end tanks, breather tubes, and quick-connect hoses — are made of plastic and sit in constant exposure to coolant temperatures over 200°F. Over time, these components become brittle, crack, and fail prematurely. Recently, the plastic breather/return hose between the coolan... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
I own a 2018 Audi A5. Many critical cooling system parts — including the thermostat housing, water pump housing, radiator end tanks, breather tubes, and quick-connect hoses — are made of plastic and sit in constant exposure to coolant temperatures over 200°F. Over time, these components become brittle, crack, and fail prematurely. Recently, the plastic breather/return hose between the coolan... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the diagnostic test was not performed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking and hesitating while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown transmission repair was performed; however, the failure persisted. The local dealer and an unknown dealer were contacted and offered to take the vehicle in a trade-in, but th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The low oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The co... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and was informed that there was coolant inside the cylinders. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Rio. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that there was no oil on the dipstick. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. An oil consumption test was performed; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure... Read more